Drying machine



June 13, 1933. c. A. WARDLE 1,914,185

' DRYING MACHINE Filed May 19, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l Il Il l i Ta- Q- wn- 3 .ag/5 6 @wf/3x5 3b. AW. 3,(

l fg

l ATTORNEY June 13, 1933..

C. A. WARDLE DRYING MACHINE Filed May 19. 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 13, 1933 PATENT OFFICE CLARENCE A. WARDLE, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA DRY'ING MACHINE l Application mea May i9,

The present invention lrelates generally to laundry machinery and more particularly to driers for curtains and other articles..

' Drying machines-in present-day use for the purpose of mounting anddrying flat articles, such as curtains, consist ofa frame of such size as will suitably support the largest size article which may come into thel laundry forcleaning purposes and usually are arranged to support two curtains, "one at each side, so that one can be'drying while another is being taken off andreplaced. Since the modern style in curtains requires the use of Valances, or similar supplemental accessories to the curtain proper, it has become quite a problem to launder curtains -quickly and expeditiouslyrbecause of the vtime lost in drying. For example one drying machine with its :single large size p frame can ounly dry one large curtain or two small Valances at one operation7 so that if the `curtains proper are dried first stacks of Valances pile up waiting for the main curtais to leave the machine. Since -the stretching devices of the frame have to be reset for each change of curtain size it is obviously easier to do all curtains of one size at one setting and consequently a pair of curtains may be completely laundered ready fordelivery but as `the Valances are still waiting turn at the drier, the entire set of curtains is delayed kfor days and sometimes for weeks during the rush season.

Some ofthe objects of the present invention are to provide an improved drying machine for handling curtains and other articles; to provide a drying machine which can simultaneously ydry large and small articles; to` provide a mechanism wherein provision is made for utilizing drying space in a drier which heretofore has been wasted; to provide a drier capable of drying a numbei`-` of; stretched articles, such as curtains, while permitting any one of the articles to lbe independently removed and replaced;v to provide a drier which will increase the production of a laundry very materially while at the same time reducing the cost of operation of the drying process V;1to provide a'dry- 0 ing machine wherein a set of curtains and 19312. serial No. 612,171.

Valances can be simultaneously dried; and to provide other improvements as will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 rep resents a plan of a drying machine embodying one form of the present invention; Fig. 2 represents a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 represents a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 represents a side elevation of one of the side frames removed from the machine; and Fig. 5v represents a section similar to Fig. 3 but'showing the frame in drying position.

Referring to the drawings one form of the present invention consists of a box 1() generally ofl rectangular shape which is closed at the bottom and on all sides but lopen at the top for access to the article suporting fralnes. A heater 11, preferably ofthe coil type is installed in the box 10 to be supplied with steam or other medium by whiclrthe interior of the box is brought to and maintained at the proper drying temperature.

For mounting articles in a stretched condition along the side walls of the box 10, two skeleton type frames 12 are Iprovided, and as these are identical as to parts but one will be described in detail and like parts in the other identied by like reference numerals. Each frame 12 is made up of top and bottom rails 13 and 14 which are interconnected at the ends by braces 15 and 16. The bottom rail 14 seats against a supplemental bar 17 to which the frame 12 is attached to form a unitary structure by cross braces 18 spaced at suitable intervals and held fast respectively by screws 20 or other fastening means to the rail 13 and bar 17. They face of the frame 12 which is exposed to the drying chamber formed by the box 10 is provided with article holding means consisting in thef'present instance'of strips of card cloth 21, ksaid strips extending along the inner faces ofthe rails 13 and 14 and braces 15 and 16. Thus the projecting ne teeth of the cloth 21 readilyy penetrate a curtain or other article without doing any damageto it, but holding it properly stretched across the face of the frame ready for eX- posure to the heat of the drying chamber. It is preferable to provide a bar 22 which extends transversely across the face of the frame but out of the plane of the teeth of present instance, two parallel metal strips' 24 and 25 project from the article side of the frame 12,'from the top of the rail 13, and 'from the bottom of the rail 14 a sufiicient distance to receive the bar 22 between them. rlhese metal strips are each provided with a row of holes 26 in opposite register one with another, and the ends of the bar 22 are'provided with pins 27 and 28 arranged to enter two holes respectively and thus determine the adjusted or selected fixed position of the bar 22. As here shown the pin 28 .is part of a spring pressed anchoring member which is slidably mounted in guides 30. ln other words the parts 28 and 30 in effect become a spring pressed bolt which when released from a hole in the strip 24 allows the bar 22 to be taken out and moved to another position and there held by releasing the bolt for engagement with another hole in the strip 24, while the pin 27 enters the corresponding'hole in the strip 25.

For the purpose of mounting the frame 12 for vertical sliding movement in the box 10, two stiles 29 are attached respectively to the ends of the bar 17 and rise vertically therefrom to slide in guide posts 3l which are provided for the purpose and are mounted within the box 1G. Each post 3l has a guide groove 32 therein and the pairs of posts are spaced apart to receive the stiles 29 within the grooves 32 so that the frame 12 and its associated parts can be raised and lowered with respect to the box 10. 1n connection with the posts 31 it should be noted that these extend such a distance above the top of the box 10 as will permit the complete withdrawal of the article supporting portion of the frame 12. Means for counterbalancing the weight of the frame 12 and its parts are provided in ropes 33 which extend over pulleys 34 and are attached to counter weights 35 which are arranged to be concealed in and ride within the end posts 31. Thus the weight of the frame is equalized by the weights 35 and it becomes a very easy matter to raise and lower it from one position to another.

For the purpose of permitting the frame i12 to swing outward to a horizontal position so that a valance can be easily and conveniently placed or removed from the frame,

a bar 17, which is a part of the assembled frame 12, is hinged as shown at 36 to base bar 37 which interconnects the stiles 29 at their lower ends. The assembly of the hinges 36 is such that when the frame 12 is A lifted to the position shown in Fig. 3 it can be swung outwardly and down toa substantially horizontal position, where the frame rests upon the side edge of the box 1() to maintain it in this position.

1n order to position a curtain or other article to be dried in addition to those being dried upon the side frames the box' 10 mounts a double Lframe 38 by means of end pivotal pins 40 so that the unit 38 can be swung Vabout a horizontal axis in order that its position in the box 10 can be reversed. As here shown the frame 38 consists -of two spaced apart side channel rai1s41 `carrying at opposite sides longitudinal rails-43 -v and end rails 44, the face of Vwhich have portions preferably provided with card cloth 45 for anchoring a curtain or other article in stretched position. Associatediwith this anchoring and stretching means is aV cross v strip 46 also provided with a card cloth face 47 which is adjustable lengthwise of the frame'and extends transversely thereof to terminate in pins 48 arranged to enter holes 50 in the rails 43. Also provision is made l for stretching the curtain vor other article in the direction of its width by a bar 51 arranged between the rails 44 and movable transversely of the frame 38, that is in `-a direction at right angles to the direction of movement of the adjusting bar 46. 4Thus the desired stretching of the curtain can take place both in the direction of its length and in the direction of its width. The bar 51 is preferably faced with card cloth 52 f or safely engaging and holding the curtain. The ends of the bar 50 are provided with slide pins or bolts 53 for entering spaced holes 54 in the end rails 44 whereby the bar 50 can be located in any one of a number of positions. It will` thus be seen that the rotatably mounted unit is in effect two frames, one at each side thereof and arranged back to back andthe mounting is .such that in its operative position :asvshown l' 1 at Fig. 3, the plane of the upper side of this double frame l is substantially coincident with the plane of the top of the stiles 29. The width of the frame 38 is preferably such as to close the opening between. the

parallel edges of the plate strips 25. and in this way loss of heat through the top o f the box 10 is prevented when the machine is' assembled andv in operative position. In connection with the frame 38it should `be noted thatthis is of a size to receive and support in stretching position any curtain up to the Alargest size made and thus the4 machine is adapted to simultaneously dry a full 'size curtain on one part, while the two smaller side frames can take care of all of the accessory parts of the curtains, such as valances and the like. A s soon as a curtain is dried the frame 38 can be swung to reverse position thereby bringing a wet curtain into position for drying while the dried curtain can be removed and replaced. Also the two side frames can be'independently withdrawn from the box 1() as indicated in Fig..` 3 and adjusted ready to replace a dried valance with a wet one. It should also be noted that when the side frames are lifted the lower strip 25 of each side frame serves as a closure to prevent escape of heat units up along the side of the main frame 38.

While only a single form is shown in which this application may be embodied, it isvto be understood that the invention is not limited to any specific construction, but might be applied to various forms without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. In a drier, the combination of a box, a heating unit in said box, a frame ex osed to said unit for supporting an artic e in drying position, Vmeans for mounting said frame to swing about a horizontal axis, a second frame for supporting a second article in drying position, said frames forming two walls of a drying chamber, means for mounting said second frame to slide relative to said box into and out of wall forming position, and pivot means for permitting said second frame to assume a substantially horizontal position when lifted out of said box.

2. In a drier, the combination of a box, a heat unit in said box, two vertically disposed article supporting frames slidably mounted in said box in parallel spaced apart relation, and a third frame mounted on said box and arranged to assume a horizontal position substantially closing the space between the top edges of said vertical frames, whereby three drying faces are disposed toward the drying area supplied by said unit.

3. In a drier, the combination of a box, a heating unit in said box, a frame for supporting an article disposed toward the drying area supplied by said unit, means for mounting said frame to swing about a horizontal axis, two frames spaced by said first frame, each arranged to su port an article to be dried, and means or respectively ymounting said two frames for sliding move ment, whereby either or both can be lifted out of the drying area of said unit.

4. In a drier, the combination of an open top box, a heating unit in said box, a frame for supporting an article to be dried, said frame having a width less than that of said box, means for mounting said frame to swing about a horizontal axis with two opposite side edges forming with the corresponding sides of said box two slots, and two supplemental article supporting frames slidably mounted in said box to pass respectively through said slots and in drying position to close said slots, all of said frames in drying osition forming three walls of the area iieated by said unit.

5. In a drier, the combination ofa box, three article supporting frames forming therewith a heating chamber, one of said frames being mounted to swing about a horizontal axis, and the remaining frames being mounted to move vertically and turn to project beyond the respective sides of said box, and means for heating said chamber.

Signed at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, State .of Pennsylvania, this 11th day of May, 1932. f

CLARENCE A. WARDLE. 

